Nearly 3,000 years old, Palermo is said to be the most conquered city in the world—its striking natural harbour witnessing 11 different periods of rule. These days, however, titan ships have been replaced by hydrofoils of curious tourists set to explore the now peaceful island.

From the ninth to the 12th centuries Palermo bustled with trade, and the colourful Ballaro Market is still piled with just about every item imaginable. Several architecturally important buildings display both Arab and Norman influences, like the Norman Palace, the chapel of which is decorated in intricate, Byzantine mosaics, the jumble of arches, cupolas and towers that makes up the Duomo Palermo and the imposing, 900-year-old Castello Zisa. Throughout the Quartiere della Kalsa, designed to accommodate the city's leaders, wafts the distinctly Sicilian feel of depths of experience combined an appreciation of life. Palermo has held Sicily's autonomous Parliament since 1947, instrumental in cracking down on one of the city's most infamous societal problems, the Sicilian Mafia, otherwise known as the Cosa Nostra.